Simply De-leek-table

We ate very well on our recent trip to Switzerland. For one dinner we went to a restaurant that served food from the Vaud region. I ordered a seasonal specialty called saucisse au chou (sausage with cabbage that was very similar to sauerkraut and very delicious). It was served with papet vaudois which is creamed leeks and potatoes and it was heavenly. I remembered that I had a recipe for Belgian leek tart with aged goat cheese in my “inspiration” folder so I pulled it out as soon as I got back in my home kitchen. It’s basically a quiche and has that lovely leek flavor. I made just a few tweaks – mostly by lightening the dairy, using more cheese, and incorporating some crust tips I’ve picked up. I admit that I can get lazy with savory crusts and often end up using a store-bought one, but this crust looked very easy so I went for it and it was definitely worth it.

Belgian Leek Tart with Goat Cheese (9” tart)

Crust

• 4 tbsp. (or more) ice water
• ¾ tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 ½ cups flour
• ¾ tsp. salt
• ½ cup plus 1 tbsp. chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Filling

• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 3 leeks, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices
• 2 tbsp. water
• ¾ tsp. salt
• ½ cup skim milk
• ½ cup light cream
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup crumbled goat cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375°. To make the crust, combine 4 tbsp. ice water and cider vinegar in a small bowl. Blend flour and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, slowly add the water-vinegar mixture, processing until moist clumps form. If dough seems dry, add more ice water by the teaspoon. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours (can be made 3 days ahead). Allow dough to soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.
2. Spray a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to a 12-inch round. Transfer the dough to the tart pan; fold in the overhang and press to extend the dough ½ inch above the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the freezer for 30 minutes (this will prevent the crust from shrinking). Remove the crust from the freezer, line the pan with foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until crust is set, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake another 20-25 minutes until the crust is pale golden. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
3. While the crust is baking, melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and stir to coat. Stir in the water and ½ tsp. salt. Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Cook until the leeks are tender, stirring often, about 25 minutes. Uncover and cook to evaporate excess water, 2-3 minutes.
4. While the crust is cooling, whisk the milk, cream, egg, egg yolk, and ¼ tsp. salt together in a medium bowl. Sprinkle ½ cup goat cheese over the bottom of the warm crust. Spread the leek mixture over and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Pour the milk mixture over. Bake until the filling has puffed, is golden in spots, and the center looks set, 35-40 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool slightly. Remove pan sides.

I’ll Stop the World and Melt with You

One of my favorite fast, last-minute-when-you-are-starving meals is a tomato melt. I warm a little olive oil and add garlic (pressed or just cut into big chunks) and some dried basil and oregano. I brush the infused oil on a sliced roll or French bread, top it with tomato slices and cheese, and broil it until the cheese melts. Yum! I particularly like Havarti cheese for this sandwich; sometimes I’ll use dill Havarti and forgo the dried herbs. I was flipping through Gourmet Meals in Minutes (a fabulous cookbook) and found a recipe for an eggplant melt. This seemed like an intriguing variation on my beloved tomato melt. I changed up the recipe, paring down the ingredients significantly. A hit! And it makes me wonder what other tasty possibilities there are for simple melty sandwiches.

Eggplant Melt (4 to 6 servings)

• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 eggplant cut into ½-inch slices
• loaf of wheat ciabatta, split lengthwise and cut into 4-6 portions
• Havarti cheese, sliced

1. Heat the broiler.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Brush the eggplant slices on both sides with the oil and vinegar mixture. Broil the eggplant until golden brown, 5-6 minutes per side.
3. Brush the ciabatta with the oil and vinegar mixture and broil until lightly toasted, about 1 minute.
4. Layer the eggplant slices on the bottom half of the bread and cover with the cheese slices. Broil until the cheese melts. Place the other half of the bread on top.

I’d Like my Salad Well Done, Please

Sometimes I’m in the mood for a light steak. No, that’s not an oxymoron. A salad with feta and lemon vinaigrette topped with strips of grilled steak is just the thing. The lemony salty crunchy salad lightens up the rich steak and makes a complete meal that is satisfying without being heavy. This salad works really well as a wrap, as well.

Salad with Grilled Steak with Feta and Lemon Vinaigrette (6 servings)

• 1 small clove garlic, pressed
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. lemon zest
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 head of iceberg lettuce, rinsed and roughly chopped
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
• 6 oz. crumbled feta cheese
• 1 ½ lbs. flank steak, grilled and sliced into thin strips

1. To make the vinaigrette, combine the garlic, pepper, and lemon zest in a bowl. Mix in the lemon juice and vinegar. Whisk the olive oil in a slow stream to form an emulsion.
   In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber slices, feta cheese, and vinaigrette and toss well.
2. Serve the salad topped with the strips of grilled steak.